Recently, I finally cut the bounded chains to my laptop and literally ran away.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike my computer. Up to date, it's given me a lucrative business, which I'm forever grateful. In fact it's not the computer, it's me! I became on online addict!
As most of you know, running your own business really requires discipline and boundaries of knowing when to step away from ALL your devices and switch off. At least find that balance. The cyber realm is another layer of existence and sometimes I forget I'm a human when I'm so intently engaged online, pouring every ounce of my energy into this machine.
My posture has suffered too, which is no excuse being a yoga teacher. I sit cross-legged in bed with a onesie and a cup of herbal tea by my side. I was so comfortable propped up in my office (also known as my bed) that years of resting my laptop on cushions in front of me, finally took its toll and I can see my shoulders need some 'unrounding' (I know there's no such word). Also, now that I've given up sugar, (a blog worth writing in itself) my computer was the last crutch I had to wean myself off and boy were the results amazing.
I run yoga classes in Ealing and I was manually booking all my students in on iCAL, until one day it crashed and so did I. It really was the most stressful day and the nemesis of my business. A love hate relationship. It lost ALL my Monday class bookings for 3 years and I lost my patience and peace. Finally I surrendered and that was the gift in that accident (well no such thing as an accident). Everything happens for a reason and the lesson in this was teaching me to let go and get everyone on a booking system. My lovely techie friends had numerously advised I do this, however I kept making excuses of all the reasons why I shouldn't as I didn't want to let go of control. How would I understand a booking system? I've never worked in an office and always led an unconventional lifestyle, so all this 'stuff' was far too corporate for me.
In the end, I had no choice and I went for it full of fear and anticipation. I had a lesson on the system on a Wednesday and thought it would take weeks before I figured it out, yet can you believe by Thursday I went live and discovered I had 25 hours extra a week! 25 hours free, wow!??
Literally two days after I went live, I got an email from a producer of a TV channel who potentially offered me a weekly yoga slot on air. Can you imaging how elated I felt as this is the dream job I'd been manifesting? What an exciting opportunity to teach and help people on a much bigger platform to a larger audience globally.
So the moral of the story is, when you create space in your life and let go (especially of control in my case) as corny as it sounds, when one door shuts, another opens. I wouldn't have been able to manage everything before due to my online schedule of organising everyone's bookings and now I even have time to go to regular yoga classes and do my practice.
Life is all about balance, yoga is all about balance. It's not about strength or flexibility. First, it's important to have a flexible mind, to step out of what keeps us prisoner in the form of our beliefs. Once you let go, the magic appears.
Before I switch on my computer to do the few hours of work online now, I set an intention by doing a mini meditation asking for support whilst I'm working online, should I have some challenging emails and remembering to breath. It's a great way to start by adopting the right attitude and sets you up in a positive mindset. I love how my inbox is empty now and days like today, I'm on my mat in a lovely park writing this blog. Not for too long though. Time to go to a class now.
Namaste
Ladan Soltani- 'A dedicated yogi and author of fabulous fitness at 40'
yoga-meditationretreats.com